Apple's current carrier partners China Unicom and China Telecom may offer the company's next-generation iPhones as soon as Sept. 20, though a launch on China Mobile is expected to come slightly later, a new rumor claims.

The total number of 3G subscribers in China reached 222 million in November, up 88 percent year over year, giving yet another indication why the market is so important for continued growth of Apple's iPhone.

Two prominent investment firms view the record breaking opening weekend for Apple's iPhone 5 in China as a sign that the company's shares are undervalued, with strong performance likely to show up in this quarter's financials.

A filing with China's telecommunications regulation body discovered on Tuesday reveals that Apple has acquired the network licenses needed to start sales of its cellular-enabled iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad.

As the iPhone 5 went on sale Friday, lines at retail stores were again subdued compared to previous product launches, as Apple's new reservation system prevented excitement from turning into potentially dangerous crowds.

A Chinese regulatory agency on Tuesday revealed that two models of Apple's iPhone 5 have been granted approval to operate on the country's networks, suggesting that the popular smartphone will soon launch in the world's largest wireless market.

Though China Mobile is the largest wireless provider on on the planet, its number of high-speed 3G subscribers remains relatively small and growth is slow as the carrier does not currently offer Apple's iPhone.